Pneumatic cotton picker



Jan. 12, 1943. A. P. COSTA 2,308,357

PNEUMATIC COTTON PICKER Filed Feb. 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. P. cQsTA PNEUMATIC COTTON PICKER Jane 12, m3.

7 Filed Feb. 23, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1943 7 2,308,357 PNEUMATIC COTTON PICKER Anthony P. Costa, Athens, Ga., assignor of onehalf to William Clair Harris, Winder, Ga.

Application February 23, 1942, Serial No. 432,066

5 Claims.

This invention relates to pneumatic cotton pickers and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is the cardinal object of the invention to provide a new and novel construction of picker head in which a means is provided adapted to engage the cotton of a cotton boll only, thus enabling the harvesting of cotton which is practically free of any portion of the boll or other foreign matter.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a cotton picker head wherein a rotating spindle is employed upon which the cotton is entwined when the spindle is brought into contact therewith; to provide means for releasing the cotton from the spindle during operation of the device and to provide a suction means for drawing the cotton to a suitable point of discharge.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a picker head which is highly eiilcient in operation, of simple construction and liable in a minimum degree to derangement, and which may be operated effectively by ordinary labor.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a front plan view of the picker head, parts broken away.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, illustrating the cotton release means in solid and dotted lines, the latter being the operative position.

Figure 3 is a front end view of the picker head.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a hood employed with the picker head.

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the picker head, with the hood removed.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a suction pump and motor employed in conjunction with the picker head or plurality of heads.

Figure 7 is an end view thereof, illustrating the installation of a pair of picker heads and associated suction pipes.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the cotton gathering element.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of a clutch device employed in the device.

Attention is first invited to Figures 1, 2, and 5 of the drawings, wherein there is shown a picker a head generally indicated by the reference character H1, consisting of a tubular sleeve H constituting a handle whereby the picker head may be manually supported and moved into operative engagement with a cotton ball, for removal of the cotton, as Will be more fully explained hereinafter. v

The sleeve H is provided with an interiorly threaded end I2 adapted to establish connection with a hose l3 housing a flexible drive cable, 14, the operation of which will be described in detail. The opposite end of the sleeve has a head I l' which is recessed and has mounted therein a ball race l5, for rotatively supporting a spindle is which is extended through the bore I! of the sleeve. The spindle is may be coupled to the cable [4 in any suitable manner, but in the present instance, I have shown the cable and spindle as having longitudinally cut away end portions l8, which are lapped and held in operative engagement with a sleeve l9, irictionally held thereabout.

The ball race l5 comprises a cup member 26 upon which the bearings are seated, a cone member 2| being threadedly engaged upon the spindle [6, a lock nut 22 maintaining adjustment of the assembly (see Figure 5).

The shank I6 is extended a substantial distance outwardly of the sleeve or handle ll and terminates in a cotton gathering element 23, the construction of which will be dealt with hereinafter.

outwardly of the bearing assembly I5, the shank i6 is formed with an annular enlargement 24, the shank therebeyond being formed with a left hand screw threaded portion 25, stopping inwardly of the cotton gathering element 23.

The element 23 is disclosed as a drill-like member having a tapered end 26, from the base of which a pair of longitudinally extended flutes 21 are formed, stopping adjacent the termination of the outermost thread 25. Under rotation of the shank l6 and presentation of the drill into a boll of cotton, it will be apparent that fibers of the cotton will be drawn in and around the drill 23 so as to be firmly held thereon. During the rotary movement of the drill, the cotton will be separated from the boll, and it is now necessary to provide a means for dislodging the cotton from the drill without necessity of stopping the rotation of the drill. This is accomplished by the provision of a pusherhead, generally indicated at 28 and adapted to be forcibly moved outwardly in the direction of the drill 23.

The head 28 comprises a base 29 having a bore 30 to slidably receive the threaded portion of the shank l6 therethrough and an integral sleeve 3] of a length extending beyond the threaded portion 25 when the head 28 is in its retracted or inoperative position.

A lug 32 is formed on the base 29 upon which a lever 33 is pivotally mounted, the lever extending rearwardly and terminating adjacent the handle I I so that it may be readily actuated to effect operation of the pusher head.

A recess 34 is formed in the base 28 extended at right angles to the bore 30. The recess 34 has an aperture 35 opening upon the bore through which a pin 35 is slidably engaged. The pin 35 has a head 3'! intermediate its length of a diameter freely reciprocable in the recess, adapted to engage one end of a helical spring 58 engaged around the pin 33, the other end of the spring being seated in the base of the recess 34. Thus the pin 36 will be held in retracted or inoperative position. The lever 33 has rear extension 39 adapted to engage the lug 32 limiting outward movement of the lever beyond a predetermined distance and thus retaining the pin 36 and associated head within the recess, as clearly shown in Figure 9.

In use, when the lever 33 is pressed in the direction of the handle 1 l the pin 36 will be forced inwardly through the port 35, so that the inner end will engage the threaded portion of the shank. The shank I6 is rotated in a clockwise direction, and since the threads are of a left hand formation, the head 28 will be caused to move longitudinally outward along the spindle so as to engage cotton entwined about the drill 23. The cotton will thus be positively forced from the end of the drill so that it may be picked up by a suction means, to be presently described.

When pressure is released upon the lever 33,

the spring 33 will retract the pin to an inoppair of pins 42 are secured to the base 29, ex-

tended at right angles thereto, spaced apart sufiiciently to allow the rod 4| to pass therebetween.

As has been stated, a suction means is employed in conjunction with the picker head and an application of such means is shown in Figw.

ures 6 and '1, wherein a wheeled carrier 43 is shown upon which a power unit 44 is mounted at one end. At the other end of the carrier, a suction device 45 is suitably fixed, driven by a shaft 46 of the power unit. The power unit 44 and suction means 45 may be of conventional construction and well understood in the art so that a detailed showing and description of these is not believed essential to the full understanding of the invention. charge conduit 47 for conducting cotton to a suitable collection receptacle (not shown), and in the present instance, a pair of collection conduits 48 are shown operatively connected with the intake 49 of the suction device.

The conduits 48 are of a flexible character so that they may be readily moved about a field so as to engage cotton to be picked, as will be understood. The terminal ends of the conduits 48 are each provided with a coupling 50 adapted to receive a collar 5| of a hood 52, the latter being rigidly connected to the head ll of the picker head by means of support rods 53, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Each hood 52 consists of a back wall 54 and The suction device will include a disbottom and top walls 55 and 56 respectively, the latter being formed with arcuate cut out portions 51 for accommodation of respective picker heads l0 concentrically therein, as shown in Figure 3. The terminal end 58 of the back wall 54 is arcuate shaped and the walls 55 and 56 are shaped accordingly so that cotton released from the picker head will be diverted in the direction of the collar 5!.

In order that rotation may be imparted to the flexible shafting l4 of the picker heads, a power takeoif 59 is provided, associated with the shaft 45. The drive consists of a bevel gear 60 fixed to the shaft 45, in mesh with bevel gears 6| secured to respective shafts I4.

The operation of the device will be substantially as follows. The carrier 43 will be moved along the field as required, an operator being assigned to each of the picker heads H1. The power unit 44 being in operation, the shaft 46 is rotated, which in turn imparts rotation of the flexible shafts i4 and the gathering elements 23. A the same time, the suction device 45 is operated to create a suction through the conduits 48 which is effective upon areas within respective hoods 52. The operators now present the gathering elements 23 into the cotton whereupon the cotton is quickly entwined or twisted upon the gathering elements. In practice, it has been found that the cotton is cleanly removed from the cotton bolls, the latter, to a large extent remaining on the plant. In order to release the cotton from the gathering elements, the operators depress the lever 33 so as to engage the pins 36 with the worm threads 25 of the shanks, when the heads 28 will quickly move forwardly, engage the cotton and force it from the gathering elements. The released cotton is then drawn through the conduits 28 to the suction device 45 and finally discharged through the conduit 41 to a suitable receptacle. As soon as the cotton is released from a picker element, the lever 33 is released and the head 28 will return to normal position in readiness for the next operation.

Should it become necessary to clean the suction device 45, this may be accomplished by virtue of the clean-out door 62.

While I have shown and specifically described my invention, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as myown all such modifications in construction as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A cotton picker comprising a handle portion, a rotary shaft journalled therein for continuous rotation, one end of the shaft having means for connection with a driven shaft, the other end of the shaft terminating in e, drill-like member outwardly of the handle portion, a head member on the shaft positioned between the handle and the drill-like member and movable longitudinally therebetween, manual means for interconnecting the rotary shaft and the head to effect outward movement of the head to a point adjacent the end of the drill-like member and means for retracting the head to normal position.

2.'A cotton picker comprising a handle portion, a rotary shaft journalled therein, one end of the shaft having means for connection with a driven shaft, the other end of the shaft terminating in a drill-like member outwardly of the handle portion, an enlargement on the shaft adjacent the handle portion, a worm on the shaft extended from the enlargement to a point adjacent the drill-like member, a head member on the shaft having a sleeve enclosing the worm, a pin member carried by the head adapted to engage the thread of the worm, spring means normally holding the pin retracted, means for holding the head against rotary movements and for guiding the head longitudinally of the worm and drill-like member, manually operable means for actuating said pin to engage the thread of said worm for advancing the head and sleeve in the direction of the drill-like member, and spring means for retracting the head and sleeve upon release of said pin.

3. The structure of claim 2, in which a hood member is positioned partly around the drilllike member, said hood having means for connection with a suction means.

4. The structure of claim 2 in which the drilllike member has a tapered end and a pair of opposed longitudinally extended flutes.

5. A cotton gathering means associated with the end of a collection conduit comprising a continuously rotating element constructed to entwine cotton circumferentially therearound, means to release the cotton from the rotating element for discharge into the collection conduit, the releasing means consisting of a head member longitudinally movable with respect to the rotating element for engaging the cotton and imparting a similar movement thereto and spring means for retracting the head member.

ANTHONY P. COSTA. 

